Officials must tread straight, narrow when they teach

The lawmaker connection to universities hit a snag last month, at least in Virginia, when allegations surfaced that Del. Phillip A. Hamilton (R-Va.) tried to steer state funding to a teacher center at Old Dominion University to set up a position for himself.

Virginia House Speaker William J. Howell (R) called for an ethics investigation.

In Maryland, most of the lawmaker-professors serve as adjuncts, earning a few thousand a year for their time in a classroom. The legislators report the income in their financial disclosure forms, said William G. Somerville, the General Assembly's ethics counsel.

The lawmakers also vote on state university budgets and a state formula that funnels money into the state's private universities.

Sen. Catherine E. Pugh (D-Dist. 40) of Baltimore has taught at Morgan and Coppin State universities in Baltimore. She said she was always aware of the votes she cast for the colleges.

"I think you tend to be conscious for whatever you vote for," Pugh said.

Del. Samuel I. "Sandy" Rosenberg, who serves as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Maryland at Baltimore and at the University of Baltimore, agreed.

Although he cast votes for the college budgets as a legislator, he has had no oversight role, either in his current position as vice chairman of the Judiciary Committee or in a previous position on the Appropriations Committee.

Sen. James Brochin said he was once asked to co-sponsor legislation to grant collective bargaining rights for adjunct professors. He refused, because at the time he had a $2,500-a-year gig as an adjunct professor at Towson University.

Brochin (D-Dist. 42) of Towson said he would have recused himself from voting even though he supported the concept.